I have a 2005 Dodge Caravan with the 3.3 V6 and why I do not know but the PCV valve is in the valve cover on the rear of the engine (Firewall side) and will not come out. My next option is to remove the plenum and the valve cover to RR the PCV Valve.
To eliminate this in the future can the valve covers be swapped - the one with the pcv valve moved to the front of the engine (Radiator Side) and the other one moved to the firewall side - re-route the hoses and life be good. Or will this cause issues I have not foreseen?
I’d Think Twice About Swithcing The Cover Locations, Even If They’d Interchange. Your Oil Filler Cap Will Move To The Rear Someplace, And What About The Plumbing For The PCV System ?
I don’t know your mechanical ability, but I’ve had situations (and I do most repair and maintenance operations) on vehicles that I leave for a mechanic with much more experience working on specific vehicles/engines/parts. This could be a cake walk for an experienced (on Chrysler minivans) technician, as compared with heartache for the vehicle’s owner, You.
That few bucks for a quarter or half hour labor could save you a bundle.
“A man’s got to know his limitations.” - Clint Eastwood
CSA
I’m pretty sure that that valve threads in rather than just pushing in and pulling out. So are you just pulling on it, or actually unscrewing it? Given that its probably plastic, don’t be surprised if it is cross threaded and still a complete PITA to remove.
Dumb location, yes. Dumb for it to be threaded, yes.
I can’t tell you whether or not you can swap the covers.
Agreed and I did think about the oil filler location; however the $260.00 the Dealer wants to RR a PCV valve is crazy but probably what we will end up having done.
The Dodge dealer confirmed it pushes into the valve cover riser and they were not able to remove the valve and advised it would be $260.00 to RR the pcv valve including the plenum gaskets and valve cover gasket.
I was speaking from direct experience, though it was on a 2001 (?) model. After lots of pulling and annoyance I finally figured out it threaded in & out - and it was cross threaded. Perhaps it was changed between '01-05 but the vans did mostly stay the same during those years. Why would you trust a dealer? People think that they somehow have this specialized, secret knowledge. They don’t.
Looks just like the attached
Terrychampion Should Buy The OEM Part For The Exact Make/Model/Model-Year/Engine (If It Hasn’t Been Purchased Already) And Have It In Hand While Attempting R&R. That Will Solve The Debate.
Also, a reputable shop that has experience on these minivans could come in for less money on labor, especially if their labor rate is lower than a dealer, but the difference may not be worth it.
Is this PCV valve suspected of being clogged / stuck / frozen / broken ?
CSA
I have the OEM Part (Attached a photo that I found online) (and it is definitely not threaded - has an o-ring near the base and the part is inserted into the riser on the valve cover) and the one in question is clogged causing the van to blow oil by. There is a internal lip on the top of the riser tube and I assume from age, heat etc… the o-ring has probably swelled and or become hardened and will not allow the valve to come up out of the riser. I have tried numerous methods including a homemade slide hammer (inserted a similar OD piece of stainless into the id of the pcv valve, clamped with vise grips in order to not damage the valve neck and used a small ball peen on the vise grips and the pcv valve did not budge). The valve has a small hole at the base of the neck (Tube) that you are supposed to be able to insert an awl into and pop the valve out; wrong, you only damage the neck. Trust me it is stuck.